The brand was launched in 1967 when Ralph Lauren, born Ralph Lifschitz, got a $50,000 loan. Prior to starting Ralph Lauren, he worked for Brooks Brothers. In 1968 he started a line of mens ties.

Ralph Lauren Wholesale Polo Shirts Online Outlet including Wholesale Ralph Lauren T-Shirt, We have Cheap Ralph Lauren Polo and Discount Ralph Lauren ...

By 1969 he had a boutique store within the Manhattan department store Bloomingdales. In 1971, Polo Ralph Lauren launched its first womens collection and his first standalone store in Beverly Hills, California. Ten years later, in 1981, the brand went global with its first international store on Londons New Bond Street. The Polo Sport line was introduced in 1993. The company went public in 1997.

The brand now produces clothing, accessories, fragrances, furniture, operates the restaurant RL in Chicago, and sponsors a Harlem cancer center in association with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

As of 2009, Ralph Lauren or their licensing partners operated 163 full-price and 163 outlet/factory stores around the world (including Club Monaco and Rugby stores). The companys flagship store is located in the former Rhinelander Mansion on Madison Avenue in New York City. Other flagship stores are located in Chicago (largest RL store in the U.S.), East Hampton, London (largest RL store in the world), Miami, Milan, Palm Beach, and Tokyo.

The companys official web site and online shop were launched in 2000 as polo.com by RL Media, a cooperation between Ralph Lauren and NBC. In 2007, Ralph Lauren acquired the NBC share of RL Media and the web site was relaunched as ralphlauren.com.

Ralph Lauren is one of the largest retailers in the United States with revenues reaching $4.2 billion in 2007.

Polo classics
One of the most famous pieces in the Polo line is the classic polo short-sleeved knit shirt featuring the Polo player on the left breast of the shirt. This shirt in particular became a fashion must-have in the 1980s with the preppy set. Other Polo classics include the cashmere cableknit sweater, chinos and the oxford cloth button-down shirt.

Brands
Since Ralph Laurens first brand, Polo, was launched in 1967, the company has expanded to include a variety of luxury brands. They include:

Clothing for men
 
A pair of Polo mens shoes.Purple Label: Launched in 1994, this is Ralph Laurens signature, and highest end mens line with classic, traditionally British styling. It includes ready-to-wear, suits and sportcoats (made by St. Andrews and Cantarelli), dress shirts, sportswear, accessories, and footwear, as well as a collection of made-to-order suits, sportcoats, shoes (made by British company Edward Green), dress shirts, exotic skin luggage, small leather goods, and jewelry. Purple Label is only available in Ralph Lauren stores, the companys online store and high-end department stores such as Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bloomingdales.
Black Label: Positioned just below Purple Label, Black Label for men tends to have a more modern, Italian cut to its suits and sportcoats (made by Raffaele Caruso of Parma), dress shirts, and sportswear, with higher armholes and a slimmer silhouette. Black Label was created in 2005 and is also only available in flagship Ralph Lauren stores, the companys online store and selected high-end department stores.